Retort for treating oil shale



E. a. ROTH Rrn'r .FOR TREATING OIL VSmm;

med March 9. 1925 2 IShe@Us-sheen:1

l Sept. 7, 1926.

E. B. ROTH "xzron'r Fon TREATING oIx SHALE Filed March 9. 1925 y 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 1926.

Laatse l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD B. ROTH, or. sr. lLoUI's, MISSOURI'.

RETOBT FOR TREATING OIL SHALE.

Application med March s, 1925. seran No. 13,938.,

This invention relates to retorts for .treating oil shale. l

In the treatment of oil shale in order to vaporize and removethe oil therefrom with commercial success and with -best results.

various requirements must be met.

It is essential or desirable that the shale should be fed to and through the retort approximately continuously; that the-oil vapors should be produced at 'about the lowest temperature possible and'immediate1 ly removed; that the heat should be applied ,with nearly unvarying intensity; that the shale should be prevented. from-becoming gumrned or agglomerated into cakes, and shouldbe reduced to aproper degree ot fineness which may be determined empirically f according to the characteristics ofy the shale being treated.; that before being passed into the retort the shale shouid be dried and 'preheated to a degree of temperature' approxi-I mating, but preferably not quite so .high as, thedegree' of temperature at which-the first oil vapors separate from the shale 'and rise.; that the shale should be continually agitated and propelled to different zones of progressively increasingr heat; and that the vapors be withdrawn quickly from the rctort and from the different zones thereof.

It isjan accepted result of experience that the longer the shale is exposed to heat and theslower the heat is applied in the respectilve zones proportionately better results are obtained and that the vapors 'from some of the shale components separate and rise under the influence o'l' lower heat than from others.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus designed and adapted to perform all of the above mentioned operations inexpensively and with a high degree of efficiency so that the apparatus canbe used commercially and profitably. Specifically an object of the invention is to provide an improved retort for' thc treatment of oil shale divided into compartments subjected to aL higher degree of heat -progres'sively from the vcompartment which the' shale first-enters'to the-compartment from which the shale is discharged, and having improved shale. propelling and agitating devices in thefcompartments respectively,4

compartment to another, and finally from the retort.

Another object of the invention is to pio vide an improved retort of the character and for the purposes mentioned, comprising one 60 or more inclined retort agitators or stirrers byfwhich the shale is kept in motion in one or more zones-ofheat.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved shale retort having an inclined rotary agitator 'or stirrer subjected to heat, and means for delivering the shale to be treated near the axis of the agitator or stirrer whereby, due to the novel eonstruction of the agitator or stirrer, the shale is caused to move into and .from diierent battle devices and is ultimately discharged into a passage near the periphery of the agitator or stirrer which, if desired, may lead to another agitator or stirrer operating in anothgr, one of higher temperature. i

Other objects will appear from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which E 1g. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the present invention. A

y Fig. 2 is a plan view.

Fig. 3 isa plan view of one of the. agita-i tors or stirrers. o

In-the embodiment of the invention shown the retort comprises an 'outer wall 1,' an inner -wall 2 enclosed within the outer wall and spaced therefrom, an upper end. wall or cover 3 for the enclosure formed by the inner side wall 2, a lower end wall 4 for the inner enclosure,.and an upper end wall or cover 5 Jfor the outer enclosure. The vlower end wall 4 and the downwardly extended portion of the wall 2 forml a combustion chamber containing a burner 6 to which fuel 'may be supplied 'from any accessible source for heating` the machine..

A number of inclined partitions 7 in the present instance tivo, are mounted in the enclosure 2, though the number of such par- 100 wall 2 for the discharge of'accumulations.

Each of the partitions 7 is provided with an annular flange 9 Within which the stirrers 105 or agit-atorsoperate.

The disc 10 is mounted Ieccentrically withinthe 'enclosure formed by theanige 9 of the upper partition 7, being closer to the flange at. the upper side of the enclosure 110 sil ldd

than at the lower, so that a considerable space is lei't below the disc ewhich space communicates through a hole l1 with a chute l2. upper end of an inclined shaft 13 rotated by driving connections la from a drive shaft l5 extending to the outside and provided with a driving device 16. The upper surface of the disc 'l0 is provided with a number of battles i7 preferably yarranged in annular series as shown in Fig. 8, though such arrangement .may he varied if desired. bathes 17 are shaped'to provide inner receptacles or cups 1S and outer receptacles c cups 19, with the exception that the battles 17 at or neer the periphery of the disc l0 need not be provided with the outer receptacles or cups.

A disc 20, ot construction similar to the disc i0 and having similar balles l? thereon, is attached to the upper end of the shaft 15 and rotated thereby and is arranged to discharge the shale into the lower part of the enclosure formed by the iiange 9 on the lower partition 7. The shale passes therefrom through a hole 2l in the lower pirtition 7 and thence through a chute 22 to a conveyor 23 by which the shale remnants are conducted to any desired point ot' discharge.

A chute or passage 2li extends through the upper portion oi' the retort and discharges near the center ot the upper agitator or stirrer so that the shale moves continually and vsuccessively outwardly on the upper disc l0,

being caught in the diiierent cups or receptacles 18 or 19 while being subjected to heat, with the result that the vapors rise and pass from thev inner enclosure through holes into thf space between the inner and outer enclosures and thence to a point of delivery through a conduitQG.

An altern'ative'or additional heating device is shown, the same comprising a lower steam heating coil 27 to which steam is admit-ted through a pipe 28 and from which the steam passes through a connection 29 to an upper heating coil 30. The heating coils 27 and 80 are below and adjacent to the lower and upper partitions respectively, so that the lower compartment is subjected to greater heat than the upper comliartmcnt. By this means the shale is continuously agitated and propelled through different zones ot' progressively increasing heat and is prevented trom becoming gummed or agglomerated into cakes, and the vapors are caused to rise and are withdrawnquickly from the retort and from the diierent zones thereof.

' A conveyor 31 may be used in connection with the chute 24 to maintain a continuous flfeed ofshale toand through the retort.

For the purpose of receiving, condensing and discharging certain heavy vapors from the retort, I have provided a pipe 32 having a number of openings 33 into the retort The disc 1'0 is attached to the- The Lacasse near the upper end thereof and having a number of depending pipe connections 3i opening into another pipe which has several communications 3G with the intermediate portion ot' the retort. rl'he connections 33 and 3o permit any condensed liquids to pass out into the pipes 32 and 35 and thence to a point of discharge through a pipe 37.

From the foregoing it Will be seen that my invention consists of a retort for the treatment of shale to remove the oil therefrom in an inexpensive, ,eicient and profitable manner. The machine requires little attention when in operation, it' being only necessary to maintain thcburner 6 and the conveyors and `the operating mechanism of the machine in operation. lt Will continue to operate for a comparatively long time Without special attention or care.

I do not restrict myself to the exact constructions and arrangement shoivn and described, as l am aware that numerous variations may be lnade in the construction and arrangement of the parts Without departure from the nature and principle ot' the invention.

What I claim and desire to seizure by Leiters 1Eatent is z i l. A shale treating retort comprising au enclosure, a plurality of inclined partitions dividing said enclosure4 into separate superimposed compartments having communication with each other through inclined portions of said partitions, an agitator device supported in an inclined position in one ot said compartments and above an inclined portion of one of said partitions` an inclined shaft extending through said last-named inclined partition and'having connection 'with said agitator, and means for rotating said shaft.

2. A shale treating retort comprising an enclosure, a plurality of inclined partitions dividing said enclosnreginto separate superimposed compartments having communication with each other through inclined portions osaid partitions, an agitator device supported'in 'an inclined position in one of said compartments and above an inclined portion of 4one of said partitions, an inclined shaft extending through said last-named `in- `clined partition and having connection with said agitator, means for rotating said shaft, and means for delivering shale upon the central portion ot said agitator. i

3. A shale treating retort comprising an enclosure, an imperforate disk element supported ,in an inclined position in said enclosure, a number of battles extending normal from said disk and having pockets in their sides toward the axis of said disk, means -for discharging shale upon said disk, and means for rotating said disk.

4. A shale treating retort comprisin anlassassin dividing said enclosurev into a number of lcompartments and having o niiigs therethrough near their u per ande compartments and having openings theres through near their an` inclined rotar above each of sai upper and lower edges, isk in s'aid enclosure partitions between said "openings, ballles extending normal 'from said disk, means for conducting material to the central portion -of the upper disk,'a passage from one of said compartments near the lower edge of the up r partition for conducting material there rom to the cen-y tral ortion of the next lower disk, means v forming a confined space around apart of said enclosure in communication with said enclosure, and means for conducting vapors from said s ace.

6. A sha e treating retort comprising an enclosurev having a plurality of vapor outlets, a wall ormin a space into which said outlets o en, an ine` ined partition in said en' closure aving openin therethrough near its upper and lower e ges, an inclined disk above said partition between said openings, baiiies connection with said disk, means for eonductin material lto the central portion of4 said isk, mechanism for rotatin'fr said disk, and means for conducting solid material from said enclosure.

7. A shale treating retort comprising an enclosure having a pluralityof vapor outlets, a wall forming a space into which said outlets open, an inclined artition in said enclosure having openings t erethrough near its upper and lower edges, an inclineddisk `above said partition between said openings, baffles in connection with said disk, means 4for conductin material to the central portion of said isk, mechanism forl rotating said disk, means for conducting solidmaterial from said enclosure, and means for heating said enclosure.

8. A shale treating retortcomprising an enclosure having a' plurality of vapor out lets a plurality of inclined partitions in said enclosure, an inclinedA .disk above the central u portionof each of'said partitions, baflles extending upwardly normal from each of said disks, mechanism for rotating said disks, means for conducting shale to the central rtion of theupper disk, means for conucting shale discharged from the upper disk to the central portion of the next lower disk, and means for heating said enclosure.

9. A shale 'treating retortcomprisingv an l inclinedI support, a flange extending upwardly from said support, a shaft extendin through said support, a disk attache'd to said shaft in an inclined position above said sus, port, pockets on the upper side of said disk, means for delivering material to a point near the center of said disk, means for ro tating said shaft and thereby said disk to cause the material to move outwardly and downwardly as the disk is rotated, and a.

passage for conducting the material discharged from said disk.

10. A shale treating retort comprising an, inclined support, a flange extending up'- wardly from said support, a shaftextendi'ng through said support, a disk attached to said shaftrin an inclined position above said support, pockets on the upper side'of said disk, means for delivering material to :i point near the 'center of said disk, means for "rotating said shaft and thereby said disk to cause the material to move outwardly and downwardly as the disk is rotated, a passage for conducting the material discharged from said disk, and an additional disk receiving the material from said passage.

11. A shale treating retort comprising an inclined support, a flange extending upwardly from said support, a shaft extending throu h said support,l a disk attached to said aft in an inclined position above said support, pockets on the upper side of said disk, means for deliverin material to a point near the center of sait disk, means for rotatin said shaft und thereby said disk to cause t e material to move outwardly and downwardly as the disk is rotated, a pasifi sage for conducting the material discharged Vfrom said disk, a'n additional disk receiving the material from saidpaseage, and means for subjecting said diskxvto the desired de. grae of temperature.

EDWARD s. ROTH; 

